Country singer Alan Jackson has some bad news he wants you to hear from him. The legendary performer has been diagnosed with a degenerative nerve condition that affects his ability to balance. Despite the cruel prognosis, he does not think that the condition will affect his ability to go on tour, but only time will be able to tell whether that is the case or not. The 62-year-old country legend has been diagnosed with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease and has been struggling with the condition for the last decade of his life, as he explained during an interview with TODAY show host Jenna Bush Hager.
Fortunately, Jackson’s condition does not affect his lifespan. But it does have consequences for his arms and legs because it makes his muscles smaller and weaker. This can affect his ability to balance on his two feet because they can become plagued with hammertoes and high arches.
Unfortunately, the Grammy winner confessed that the condition is affecting his ability to do live performances. He told Bush Hager that it was a “relief” to finally tell America and his fans about his disease so he could live his truth and not try to hide what he has been dealing with for ten years.
“It’s genetic that I inherited from my daddy,” Jackson said in Tuesday’s interview. Besides his father, his grandmother was also diagnosed with it, and his sister is currently battling it just like he is. “There’s no cure for it, but it’s been affecting me for years. And it’s getting more and more obvious.
“I know I’m stumbling around on stage. And now I’m having a little trouble balancing, even in front of the microphone, and so I just feel very uncomfortable. I think it will be good for me now to get it out in the open.”
Although the country legend said the disease wouldn’t “kill” him, it is related to other conditions, including Parkinson’s and muscular dystrophy.
Alan Jackson finds it amusing that he is struggling with a disease that has an acronym, CMT, which is the same as the County Music Television channel.
Although the condition promises to slow him down, Jackson has achieved a lot in country music throughout his career. He has sold more than 43.5 million albums in the United States alone, which makes him one of the best-selling recording artists of all time. He was also inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame back in 2017. His induction was attended by country music greats like Loretta Lynn and Lee Ann Womack.
During his formal induction into the hall of fame, Lynn said, “The first time I ever met Alan, he looked like a scared little boy. He was backstage, going through his songs. And I remember looking at him and saying, ‘You’re going to be one of the greatest singers in country music.’ He hasn’t let me down.”
Lynn was recovering from a stroke at the time and had not made a public appearance.
“This is the first time I’ve been out of the house,” she said. “You’re the only thing that would’ve brought me here.”